Enclosures for temporarily protecting their contents from damage from external heat sources such as fire are well known. Such enclosures are commonly referred to as being “fire-resistant” and are typically rated for protection capabilities including the time over which the stored items may be protected by the enclosure during exposure to fire. These types of enclosures may also be rated for mechanical integrity after a fall from a specified height or from objects falling onto the enclosure.
Fire resistant enclosures have long been used to store and protect valuable items, such as documents, from damage due to fire and other environmental hazards. More recently, fire resistant enclosures have been used to store and protect electronic devices, such as a data storage device, from damage due to fire. It was previously understood in the prior art that a fire resistant enclosure must provide for a certain amount of air space contained within the enclosure so that the enclosure could pass a fire test and obtain an appropriate fire test rating. However, the use of fire resistant enclosures to store and protect a data storage device creates an additional design consideration in that these devices typically generate heat inside the enclosure that needs to be dissipated in order for the data storage device to operate properly. In order to address the elevated temperatures that occur within the enclosure, prior art fire resistant enclosures have included passive and active heat transfer systems.
Fire resistant enclosures including a passive heat transfer system typically operate to store data storage devices and rely on ambient air within the internal cavity of the enclosure to absorb the heat generated by the data storage. Considering that air is typically known to be a thermal insulator rather than a thermal absorption media, providing nothing more within the internal cavity of the enclosure may limit the heat sinking capabilities of the enclosure and may disadvantageously limit the size of the data storage device able to be stored within the enclosure. Moreover, the additional air space that surrounds the data storage device adds to the size and weight of the enclosure. Further, considering that air is not typically known to be a cushioning material, providing nothing more within the internal cavity of the enclosure may disadvantageously limit the impact protection capabilities of the fire resistant enclosure.
Fire resistant enclosures including an active heat transfer system operate to expel heat from within the enclosure by using venting or passages defined in the insulation materials and the outer casing of the enclosure. Active enclosures may also utilize equipment such as fans, sensors, and controllers to maintain the temperature in the enclosure within an operating range of the data storage device. However, the need for this additional equipment in active enclosures increases manufacturing costs, as well as the size and weight of the enclosure. In addition, the use of additional components in conjunction with the enclosure create additional challenges in making the enclosure water resistant.
Therefore, what is needed is a fire resistant enclosure for a data storage device that dissipates the appropriate amount of heat to allow the data storage device to operate properly, while reducing its size, manufacturing costs, and complexity compared to prior art fire resistant enclosures for data storage devices. The present invention addresses these needs as well as other needs.